Numerous host systems utilize replaceable components that are held by a receptacle of the host system. Examples include a military aircraft that uses replaceable missiles or other projectiles, or a medical infusion pump that receives cassettes with tube sets for facilitating the delivery of fluids to a patient. Host systems may also include items that receive replaceable batteries, memory cards and the like. A common feature of such host systems is that they include a receptacle shaped to allow it to receive a replaceable component having cooperating shape. For example, military aircraft may have missile launch tubes 4 inches in diameter to receive either air-to-air missiles or rocket-propelled grenades, either of which may be sized for a four inch tube. A medical infusion pump may be shaped to receive a cassette that holds fluid delivery tubing of various diameters or sizes. A flashlight may be sized to receive batteries of various sizes, such as AA, AAA, C or D and the like.
Host systems also frequently alter their functionality depending on either the presence or type of replaceable component in the receptacle of the host system. For example, for a medical infusion pump, if a tubing cassette is not detected, it may be desirable to indicate a fault condition, such as by flashing a red light our sounding an audible alarm.
Host systems having a receptacle usually interact with a replaceable component in some way. If the replaceable component is a battery, the host system may receive electrical energy from the battery. Some host systems, such as medical infusion pumps, interact with the tubing within a tubing cassette via ultrasonic sensors to monitor fluid flowing through the tubing. A military aircraft may interact with a replaceable component such as a missile by both launching the missile, and by reading information about the particular type of missile held by the aircraft.
In addition to detecting the presence or absence of a replaceable component, it is sometimes desirable to obtain information about the replaceable component held by the host system. The types of information it may be desirable to obtain about the replaceable component may be information regarding its operating characteristics (size, power, etc.) or its authenticity, i.e., whether it is genuine or counterfeit. This is particularly important for replaceable components designed for highly specialized host systems, such as medical infusion pumps. For example, the performance of tubing cassettes for medical infusion pumps depend their adherence to exacting tolerances and standards. Unfortunately, poor quality replacement components are often manufactured by other companies that pay little attention to the performance of the component, but only to ensuring that it is sized to fit into the host system.
The present disclosure is directed toward host systems that have an ultrasonic transducer that detects the presence of, and/or obtains information about, a replaceable component for a host system.
For example, military aircraft may be armed with rockets contained in pods for rapid firing. Each pod may carry 7 to 19 rockets. Since the rockets may have been loaded under extreme stress, or at night, or in inclement weather, or on a carrier or other ship engaged in battle, a manual inventory may not be possible or accurate. Thus, a pilot may not know which of several possible warhead types are available to fire.
A variety of optical or electromagnetic systems for identifying warheads in an aircraft launch tube have been evaluated. Such systems have not proven reliable, particularly under the high-stress, high-temperature, small-space conditions of a military aircraft.
A need therefore exists for a device and method that permits pilots to determine from the cockpit what rockets are loaded in their aircraft launch tubes. The present invention addresses that need.
Similarly, a need exists for a medical infusion pump to be able to ascertain the presence and characteristics of a tubing cassette capable of being held by the pump.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is presently disclosed a system, device and method for identifying a replacement component of a host system.
One system, device and method includes:
a) providing a pattern of grooves on the surface of the replaceable component, with the pattern of grooves being associated with an identification code identifying the replaceable component or a characteristic of the replaceable component;
b) placing the replaceable component in the receptacle of the host system;
c) providing a piezoelectric transducer on the host system;
d) emitting an ultrasonic wave from the piezoelectric transducer to the pattern of grooves, wherein the wave encounters the pattern of grooves at an angle of less than 90° so that waves striking the interior of a groove are reflected back to the transducer as echo waves, while waves not striking the interior of a groove are reflected away from the transducer, and
e) reading the pattern of returning echo waves to determine the identification code indicated by the pattern of grooves on the replaceable component.
Another embodiment of the invention involves:
a) providing a replaceable component receptacle of host system with a piezoelectric transmitter and a piezoelectric receiver that has a gap between them, and wherein the replaceable component receptacle is shaped to receive a replaceable component having an element that is between the gap when the replaceable component is received by the receptacle;
b) emitting an ultrasonic signal from the piezoelectric transmitter; and
c) detecting whether the emitted ultrasonic signal is received by the piezoelectric receiver.
Another embodiment of the invention involves:
a) a replaceable component for a host system;
b) wherein the host system includes                1) a receptacle; and        2) a piezoelectric transmitter and a piezoelectric receiver spaced from the piezoelectric transmitter to form a gap between them,        
c) wherein the replaceable component is shaped to complete an ultrasonic pathway between the piezoelectric transmitter and the piezoelectric receiver when the replaceable component is inserted into the receptacle;
d) emitting an ultrasonic signal from the piezoelectric transmitter;
e) detecting whether the emitted ultrasonic signal is received by piezoelectric receiver to ascertain whether the replaceable component is received in the receptacle.
Another embodiment of the invention involves:
a) providing a replaceable component receptacle of host system with a piezoelectric transducer positioned to transmit an ultrasonic signal toward a replaceable component received by the receptacle, and wherein the replaceable component has a surface oriented to reflect an ultrasonic signal transmitted by the piezoelectric transducer back to the piezoelectric transducer;
b) emitting an ultrasonic signal from the piezoelectric transducer, and
c) detecting the presence or absence of a reflected ultrasonic signal to determine the presence, or a type or characteristic, of the replaceable component.
Like reference numbers indicate the same or similar parts throughout the several figures.